©Eric Januszkiewicz
October 31, 2024
A Tail of Curiosity
- as seen by -
Eric Januszkiewicz
While wrapping up my PhD characterizing the venom of the Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus), I set off to Utah for a week of long days and nights out hiking and searching, countless hours driving between various field sites, and fitting in what little sleep I could in the bed of my truck. I was hoping to collect venom from individual rattlesnakes throughout the state to expand our knowledge of the composition of this species’ venom throughout its range.
As I made my way to the northern end of the state, I teamed up with a friend who was local to the area to scout a particular site we thought would have suitable habitat. We were elated to find this female along with one other.
For as long as I have studied this species, I am constantly awestruck by their exceedingly calm and curious demeanor. This particular snake quickly realized we were not a threat and proceeded to tongue-flick to get a sense of what we were.
It was such a privilege getting to share space with this beautiful creature and to use its venom for furthering our knowledge of this species as a whole.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This photo was chosen as one of the top submissions for Wild View’s Spots and Stripes assignment. Congratulations!
Panasonic FZ1000 II
Leave a Comment